Vampire Kisses
by BittenBee
Summary: Bella's truck breaks down in a storm and the only shelter in sight is a mysterious home with an equally mysterious occupant. When she thought all was hopeless in life, a flame ignites within her once more. One bite at a time. One-shot, DARK THEMES.


**A/N: I've altered the supernatural rules for Twilight vampires to a more classic version. They contain venom, but to change another, the human must drink a vampire's blood in return to complete the transformation. **

**Endless thanks to my amazing betas kimpy0464 and Irritable Grizzzly for making this better.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.  
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**- Vampire Kisses -**

The transmission wheezed as the truck began to slow, the brakes skidding against the slick pavement with a squealing friction. Just in time, Bella steered the vehicle off the road and onto the dirt shoulder. The entire engine clanked to a halt, the old rusted truck finally exhaling its last breath.

The rain was heavy, the clouds somersaulting, and the trees thrashed in the wind. She hadn't passed a single car on the road in hours.

The timing couldn't have been worse.

She was now stopped in the middle of nowhere, broken down on a backwoods route in a thick storm.

She had owned this truck for years. It could never get up to the full speed limit on a freeway and she had already been running late.

_I'm sorry, Truck,_ she thought, _running slow is better than not running at all!_

She'd been driving in circles it seemed. The roadmap was unclear in the rural areas of her route and if she had planned her trip properly, she would have purchased a GPS system. Despite her small efforts in preparation, part of Bella knew that her heart wasn't in it. Frustration had been building for a long time.

It was the day before her best friend Jasper's wedding. Too bad she was secretly in love with him. She sighed heavily, getting lost in her thoughts and the melodic pattering of rain against the windows. It hurt her heart to think of tomorrow. It was so _inevitable._ It was an ache that had nibbled at her insides daily since she found out he was engaged.

With a fingertip, she traced her jean-clad thigh over the spot where she knew the old and fresh scars were beneath. She longed for the feeling again. The chafing of the coarse fabric against her tender skin wasn't enough.

Sometimes Bella experienced a mild numbness after she'd distracted herself through self-injury and she believed she could move on in those moments. _Jasper, _she thought_. _His wavy blonde hair and soulful, slanted blue eyes. Again, the present reality of what she was losing slammed into her, and the heartbreak threatened to drown her. She closed her eyes briefly, digging her nails into the rough woven denim, imagining the ritual of slicing and absorbing the high she knew would come with the action. _Cut. Pain. Blood. Relief._ The process was always liberating; something personal, cherished, and hers alone.

The worst of it was that his fiancé, Alice, was perfectly wonderful. Perfectly beautiful. Perfect.

She was more beautiful and exquisite than any woman Bella had ever seen. Petite with curves in all the right places, sparkling hazel eyes, and a sweet pink smile that never failed to make Jasper beam. Bella was mellow and quiet, like Jasper. That's why they'd always been so good together—peaceful friends with quiet, dancing souls. They were lonely dreamers with tight smiles and kind hearts. Alice was enthusiastic and energetic, attributes Jasper responded to naturally, creating amazing chemistry. It had surprised Bella when Alice Brandon captured her best friend's heart.

Alice confided in Bella recently that she wanted "the special girl who's Jasper's lifelong friend" to be as close as a sister to her. Alice insisted she be one of her bridesmaids. To top it off, they had to have their ceremony and reception at a quaint, remote cottage on a hillside overlooking a grand sunset.

She'd felt detached from the world for months, and now, she literally was. Her cell phone had zero reception. She had only packed one extra set of clothes. She didn't exactly know where she was, either. Bella punched the steering wheel with the heel of her hand, letting the blunt pain echo in her wrist, and then travel up to her elbow. Her growl of frustration tapered off into a sad sigh. Her private ritual would have to wait. She had to focus on finding an alternative way of calming herself, as tempting as her ritual was in that moment.

As Bella further contemplated the hopelessness of her predicament, her teary eyes automatically scanned the surroundings through the rain slapping against the windshield.

There was some kind of blurry, dark shape in the distance. Squinting, she leaned across the bench seat and manually rolled down the passenger window.

The trees grew spindly and thick in the woods. Just above the jagged tree line, the slope of a rooftop caught her attention.

_They might have a landline_, she thought. She would call her parents first, telling them she was stuck and wouldn't make it on time tomorrow. Panic built in her gut, but she was left with few choices. Abandoning her bag under the seat, she slipped her small purse over her shoulder and pulled on her rain jacket to cover up. The rain roared in her ears as she stumbled through the woods. The dead leaves were as slippery as fish scales. Twigs and stumps hid beneath the blanket of autumn foliage, tripping her.

She finally looked up and nearly gasped at the size of the home before her. Fat pellets of water splashed onto her face as she stared for a moment. It was daunting, jutting out from a sea of orange-brown leaves and earth. It resembled a gothic bed and breakfast, chiseled from dark stone. A thick fog clung to its sides and feathered around the edges of architecture.

Separating her from this residence was a menacing black iron gate. Weeds with bumpy roots twisted at its base and into the crevices of the old lock that no longer secured the area.

Bella pushed the gate open just enough to slip through the entrance. She skidded on the stone steps, and then caught her fall with her palms. She winced at her clumsiness more than the burn of scraped skin and reached up on the balls of her feet to tap the heavy knocker against the door.

No answer.

Impatiently, Bella banged the knocker once again as buckets of rain drenched her mercilessly. Her teeth began chattering. With desperation, her cold, numb fingers curled around the ornate iron knob and she heaved her body against the oversized door. It didn't budge at first, but with a hefty dose of strength, it eventually gave way, its hinges whining.

"Hello?" she called, breathing heavily from the stress and her precarious walk. She called again, louder, her voice echoing in the silence. She pushed the door shut to close out the wet and cold. Her teeth chattered violently with the temperature change and she could see her breath in the form of steaming puffs of air.

The hallway was long, vast, and dimly lit with natural gray light. Her soggy shoes squeaked over marble, and then muted over worn carpet. The interior was decorated in antique, but seemed neither collected nor prized; it appeared to be neglected, gathering dust. The walls creaked with age as she walked and Bella wondered if the place had been abandoned.

Cautiously, she looked around as the hallway led to different rooms: A tea room, sitting room, a piano room...

"Is anybody here?" she asked openly, peeling her wet hair off her face. Water streamed off her as she walked farther, leaving little trails and puddles.

She walked into an open sitting room, looking around at the old upholstered furniture and mahogany surfaces. She noticed ashes were piled on the floor in the fireplace. _Somebody does live here, but they weren't here now_. The silence folded in on her.

It was still storming outside and Bella knew her truck would be chilly inside the cabin. She'd never trespassed before, and convinced herself that it wasn't unreasonable to seek shelter in this situation.

With the weight of her problems hanging heavily over her, she ascended the staircase, the smooth wood feeling comfortable under her fingertips. Everything had a hauntingly peaceful yet ominous spirit. Bella continued walking around, silently entranced by the secret grandeur. After giving herself a tour, she noted with wary disappointment that there were in fact no telephones anywhere. Whoever lived here was completely secluded.

She thought it was strange, but at the same time it seemed appealing—at least it was more appealing than the wedding she was supposed to attend. She came upon a door that, unlike the other rooms, was closed. Self-consciously, she knocked, feeling rude that someone might in there and unable to physically answer. After listening for signs of life and hearing none, she cracked it open.

A bedroom. It was dark, eerie, and no one was inside.

All of a sudden, Bella didn't feel so comfortable in this house anymore. Seeing the evidence of personal possessions had her thinking that staying in the house was a bad idea. Once again, the silence made itself known and thickened. The initial magic she felt upon entering faded and her skin prickled with unease. Dark-stained furniture, a worn leather chair, and burnt brass lamps were present. Thick volumes were piled high on a nearby table, one book was lying open beside the stack. The pages billowed out of its bound center, splayed with black, curling script. Absent-mindedly, Bella glanced at the pages to take a closer look.

Belatedly, she realized that the words she was reading sounded like part of a private journal. They seemed to be speaking to her right off the page, a person's spirit evident in the language.

_Isn't autumn beautiful? The leaves bud in spring, breathe the summer air, wither and rot in autumn. They disappear in winter as if they had never existed and then once again bloom, slow and sure. They are filled with an overwhelming, beautiful spectrum of color that dazzles the eyes of even a creature like myself. Like the leaves, the warmth of the sun touches me, yet I feel nothing as I watch the changing cycle of life all around me. Something so natural, profound, in a single leaf. The symbol of it is everlasting yet vulnerable as I crush it to dust in my palm._

The entry ended and Bella inhaled a breath of the musty air as the words sunk into her mind and filled chambers of her heart. It was beautiful and lonely, sweet and sad. As her hand reached out to glide over the edge of a page, a gust of wind blew and rattled the window pane. Her hand shot back to her side. Cold air like vapors rising from dry ice permeated her back, prickling her senses.

She spun around, swirling the cool air as it dissipated. _I'm alone_, she assured herself, but she remained unconvinced. It sounded like the walls were emitting low grumbles as they creaked. Fear spiked and rattled through her. The sound of her quickening, scratchy breaths fell upon her ears in sharp contrast to the silence that enveloped the room.

"What are you doing in my home?" a voice hissed with anger, sharp as a cracking whip.

Deliberate, rustling movement caught her attention. Someone stood in the shadows beside the window across the room from her. Dark blues and pale violets played over his tensed form, outlining him in pastel and ink. She smelled acidic rain and dirt from outside clinging to his clothes. Rivulets of water trailed down his body and his clothes were pasted to the angles of muscle and tendon. He was as pale as the moon, yet as dark as night. Suddenly, he was across the table in a territorial manner, hovering over the journal in front of her. She hadn't seen him step closer, yet he had moved. She hadn't seen him enter the room either, yet he was here.

She was frozen by her escalating fear, shaking not only from the cold and the wet.

"This is my property." He was referring to the journal instead of the house this time. He felt a sting of violation that his private thoughts had been absorbed by someone else.

"I- I called out, but no one answered." Feeling threatened, she took a step backward, not wanting to anger the stranger anymore. She tried to control her loud breathing. One wrong move and Bella thought she would scream. "I'll just go now."

The stranger sized her up, noticing her stricken, embarrassed expression beneath her soggy attire and dripping hair. He had just arrived back from a small hunting trip, settling for mangy deer carcass . Humans kept indoors during storms and cold weather and he was unable to pick up a trail. He was grouchy and unsatisfied when he caught a whiff of her. The scent clung to the air from all the way up the road, traveling into his home, tantalizing his appetite. Her heartbeat thundered above the animal life and tree-breathing of the woods. It sounded wet, thudding in its cavity like his own personal primal chant. Even now, his limbs wanted to propel him on to the helpless girl. The smell of the rain was sweeter around her, too.

He slammed the journal shut, and Bella saw red flashing spherically in his eyes like a sharp blade catching light as he looked at her more intently. He was never one to be overly vicious and so he assumed his role, what he was created to do, and slipped into a concentrated state of meditation to conceal his hunger. His angry expression relaxed and smoothed unnaturally, forced.

For unexplained reasons, the red irises didn't seem to bother Bella anymore. She knew something was wrong, but when she stared into them as he neared, a magnetic pull trapped her. Her eyes grew impossibly wider as she became captivated by his gaze, her senses drawn in by his silent call. _Like a fragile moth to a flame_, he thought_. _

The edges of Bella's vision blurred and her eyes locked on his, hypnotized. As if there was no distance between them and he was right in front of her, penetrating her soul.

"My name is Edward." His voice was soft now, massaging her eardrums.

He _was_ right in front of her, his breath cold and sugary on her trembling skin. Her mouth moved and words came out. "Bella. Bella Swan," she whispered with a shudder.

"You look lost," he murmured, and she blushed, her skin feeling warmth she hadn't felt in hours. There was also something else there… a chemical reaction she hadn't felt in..._ever._ Not even with Jasper had she experienced this sudden stir of reactions, punctuated by uncertainty, fear, and desire. Jasper was like home, but Edward was something else, unknown.

"Are you lost, Bella?" Her back was against the wall and he leaned close, tasting her adrenaline in the air.

She gasped at the sound of her name rolling off his tongue. The way he phrased his question, it didn't seem like he was talking about the truck that died or her cell phone that was useless. At least, that's not how she interpreted it. It was a loaded question because she felt lost on so many levels. Physically and emotionally. Everyone was always so happily wrapped up in themselves and her current predicament was laid at her feet. Jasper was getting married. In the end, there was nothing left; she was alone, and she had nothing."

The answer to Edward's question came to her at once, blaring loud and clear: The real truth to her situation. "Yes, I'm lost," she whispered, swallowing hard, her face tightening.

Bella felt so insignificant; pitiful self-loathing latched onto her heart, taming the fear that coursed through her. Part of her had already given up. She'd always floated through life, looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places, in all the wrong people. Her subconscious, that other all-knowing part of her mind, repeated what she was slowly beginning to realize: She had nothing. The cutting was a distraction, allowing her to bide time while she hung on to false hope. A deluded sense of power.

Bella watched the mysterious being, wondering if this was an opportunity or a mistake. She'd been sad with the world for too long it seemed; days of depression blurring from one into the next. Always behaving like the person others expected her to be. She'd acted accordingly, dull and without fire. She wasn't sure there was fire in her at all anymore.

Sympathy filled Edward's hooded eyes and a slender, cool finger gently brushed down her flushed cheek. She was so fragrant, succulent, and his mouth swam with venom, leaving a slick coating over his teeth and dripping down the back of his throat. So easily she had caved, like one of those dying leaves he would crush in his palm. There was sadness in her he hadn't expected, but to Edward, it made her precious. She was unafraid of him, even prepared to withstand whatever he might want with her, from her... she didn't care what it was. She had only one glimmer of hope and interest, and it was for him alone...

She was a woman of few words, so quiet, but her feelings shone on her face. It was apparent that she wanted _something._ He could tell the spark wasn't gone in her yet. Possibilities of creating a companion flitted into his mind. He had never been intent on assuaging his decades of loneliness on a mere stranger. Vampires preferred a connection; even if it was small it had to feel right, and could be built upon later. A perfect candidate had walked right into his lethal arms, serving herself up to him without knowing it.

With weightless grace he placed his cool fingers on her damp-clothed shoulders. "I don't like that sad look in your eyes," he said quietly, soothingly. His hand slid over the curve of shoulder blade and swoop of neck to the indent of chin. "I can take away the sad and the cold... You can have everything," he said suddenly, a fire kindling in his voice.

She wasn't meant for this weak human life, he told himself. She'd have to _want_ it, or he would drain her. However, he was confident that she would.

Deep, soulful need shimmered in her brown eyes now. _Yes,_ Edward thought, as the thin membrane of her lips parted her mouth slowly, exuding heat. He bent his head to her throat and inhaled the perfume of her skin. Admittedly, he was teasing himself, but it caused physical reactions in her that he counted on.

Her mind was fuzzy under his spell, glowing under his promises. With that feeling came traces of helplessness and Bella itched for another cut, a quick slice of pain to feel her sense of control return. His cold lips brushed over her pulse and she ached for the blade of his teeth. Her lids slid shut and his piercing eyes brightened red with salacious hunger. "I just want to feel something good again," she whispered.

A pleased growl rumbled low in his chest and her eyes flashed open. Red irises connected with brown. "I was hoping you would say that."

She gasped as he spun her, lightly and playfully, over to his bed. He relished the thoughts of taking his time with her. This would be no quick feed in the woods and in a dark corner of some town. He would sink himself into her in all the ways in which he could. His muscles rippled with anticipation and, like a true predator, he set the scene.

She lay in muted gray light in a sea of ebony and crimson silks. For the first time, she could see Edward beyond the shadows as he ghosted to the fireplace mantle and lit oil lamps for warmth and a hint of theatrical romance. Strands of wild, damp bronze hair glinted from the dim glow and accentuated the slash of pale cheekbones.

Bella began to rethink her decision, but her addiction to self-inflicted pain overtook her better judgment. She'd never done anything like this. Unfamiliar desire, so different from what she once felt for Jasper, sparked and escalated with his simple touch and dark, overpowering eyes. It wasn't temptation alone. When he touched her, she felt like she could finally breathe. She felt like _number one_.

He cupped her chin with his thumb and forefinger in the same predatory manner he'd revealed from the beginning. Bella's neck arched under his grasp, her eyes widening, and he smiled. His face was so close; beautiful. The power in his burgundy eyes, enchanting. Her lips parted, but he didn't kiss her. The bridge of his nose glided down the curve of her slender neck, his tongue slid in a wet, cold trail on its way up. She shivered and arched, and moved her hands to the hem of his soaked shirt. He was cold, so cold, and Bella blushed further from his otherworldly qualities.

She could see that he was a creature who took what he wanted. In every eager caress, he slowly peeled off clothing from her petite form, making her shiver and flush. It was happening quickly and traces of fear gripped her through the desire. Her heart pounded faster, her skin sensitive and tense.

She sensed that Edward was not an unnecessarily violent being, but could be vicious if he needed to be. Every touch had her skin prickling and her blood rushing. It was as if he knew how to awaken every sleeping crevice in her heart and body.

He sat up on his knees above her, his form backlit from the lamps, gauzy warm gold outlining him while other shadows darkened his front. His cool palms skimmed down her bare sides and she felt alive. "You are absolutely mouthwatering, Bella."

Edward's hands paused at her hips, his gaze stopped at her thighs. Her scent ripened and he pulled the flesh of her inner thigh, exposing her secret. Pink scar tissue and tender scabs in slanted, horizontal lines, thin as hair follicles marred the creamy flesh.

Bella attempted to squirm out of his grasp, but he held her firmly, leaning down to breathe in the freshness of her blood running just underneath the thin barrier of her scabs. "What temptation is this?" he whispered, tracing a particularly tender cut with the tip of his tongue. She trembled now, as his eyes rolled up at the hint of rich fruit.

She'd inflicted injury on herself in a ritualistic, obsessive fashion. The evidence of such behavior was peculiar to him at first, but he began to comprehend. He understood feelings of self-loathing and inflicted damage on his soul; riddled with blood lust, he was left angry, conflicted, but sated. Delivering damage physically had never been an option to his near-indestructible existence.

He could hardly contain his excitement and crawled back up her body. Her complexion looked feverish already, her brown eyes twinkling back at him. His fangs extended to her just enough, coated in venom. They would have been more terrifying had he not revealed himself slowly and been so beautiful to Bella. They looked razor-sharp, which she thought was perfect under the circumstances. "I want you to bite," she whispered, arching her neck, her tone laced with want and uncertainty.

"In due time," Edward told her, his irises flashing crimson. Another wave of heat swept through her.

His cool tongue descended and laved at the fresher scars, letting remnants of her blood escape the small tears. With closed eyes, he began to get lost in the beauty of the small torture as she curled her fingers into his hair and _pulled._ A low rumble in his chest vibrated against her skin as his mouth eagerly roamed upward to the soft cleft between her legs.

Bella moaned in surprise, and tensed from the sharp pleasure. Excitement gripped him, pleased with the flavor of her essence on his tongue. Not used to this kind of intimate attention, her body soared with ecstasy. She cried out; he growled. Through the fog of her orgasm, a slice of pain tore through her scars below, shocking her. Warm liquid surfaced and spilled into Edward's mouth as he drank from her inner thigh. Hot, thick ambrosia slid down his throat, quenching the burn inside his body. It was brief and he licked at her wounded skin affectionately, hearing her cells already regrouping to stem the flow.

Bella was high on natural endorphins, her smile and heavy-lidded eyes glowing with joy. She'd never thought to mix sexual pleasure with her pain-inducing addiction. With trembling, insistent fingers, she clawed at his wet clothes, wanting them off.

Stripped of the wet material, they tangled together. Despite the monstrous creature he was, that fact didn't stop Bella's eager exploration. He was cold and chiseled under her soft hands, and his arousal spoke of his desire for her.

"Is it not ironic?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes. "Your little secret... Addicted to control, yet rendered _powerless_ to it."

The intensity was too much. Not enough. _I'm powerless to you_, she thought, deflecting another truth. Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck and for the first time, he pressed his lips to hers, hard, almost vicious. Hot and cold breath tangled together as they kissed. His head swam, the taste of her rich blood still fresh in his system. She moaned into his mouth and his hands twisted into the wet, silken strands of her hair that fanned over his pillows.

The half-moon mark on her thigh dissipated to a dull burn. "Again," she whispered, her nails uselessly digging into his stone skin.

The beast within howled in enjoyment and he pinned her with his weight just enough, breathing in the perfumed arousal emanating from her skin. By feeding her addiction, he was gratifying himself, too. Her fingers wound into his hair and their movements grew more intimate, less rough. His mouth traveled over her sweaty skin, and he felt it quiver beneath his tongue.

Bella held him close, silently begging for his teeth again—for all of him. She arched as his smooth lips kissed down her front, breathing ice, and lifted her legs around his hips. He shuddered as he filled her to the hilt, enveloped in her warm, wet skin. He felt dizzy and she gasped before sighing with pleasure, twisting the sheets at her sides, balling the satin into her fists.

Their bodies molded and shifted together, and the hiccupping, rhythmic beating of her heart followed by anxious breaths set a seductive cadence to their movements. Her body unfurled to him receptively only to contract with pleasure, drawing him in farther. Edward's other instinctive desires rose and he felt the thirst scorch his throat.

Greedily, he inhaled at her neck. _Dare I puncture that delicate place now?_ he wondered.

Edward slowed and reached for her wrist instead. Her eyes were held by his dark, hooded gaze, the lower half of his irises flashing crimson again as his lips parted, exposing his teeth. A hint of a smile graced her lips as she anticipated his action. He sunk into her flesh above the fragile joint, the hot liquid immediately bubbling into his mouth and dripping down her arm, between their bodies. Bella bit back a whimper and panted as she absorbed the sharpness of pain. His hips thrust and he drove into her again, long and slow, as she enjoyed her high.

He groaned, licking the scarlet trail down to her elbow, bending to gather more that pooled below her breast. He kissed her again, letting her taste her own nectar.

"Bella...Bella...Bella..." he whispered into her skin, "Delicious..."

Her body tightened at his words as she stared into his eyes with glazed helplessness. She floated on the brink of darkness with every bite and thrust. Edward was like an exquisite demon welcoming her further into his world.

Her nails pressed harder into his cold flesh and he deepened his strokes. Her newly drawn blood, arousal, and salty sweat all clung in the air with a ripeness he breathed in with wicked satisfaction.

His pleasure rose to startling heights, his senses absorbing everything in a swirl of bliss. It was a connection Edward could not easily withdraw from.

"I'm going to make you mine." His promise was low and desirous. Possessively, he kneaded her breasts, still licking blood off his teeth, and watched Bella tremble with release.

Seeing her surrender made him snap inside with a powerful need. He tilted her hips with a hand pressed to the small of her back, letting her spine bow as he continued moving inside of her. Bella felt his icy mouth at her breast and smiled. She sensed his growing urgency and concentration, heard him whisper of her sweetness and his own pleasure.

Edward let himself go, abandoned his control, and succumbed to his release with snarling cries of his own. Before Bella understood, his fangs were embedded into the buttery flesh at her neck and he drank greedily. The jolt of pain caused her to seize up; she endured the flowing burn of the new gash. Her rich, fruity blood coated his throat and lubricated his veins from the inside-out. Already he felt its nutritive properties strengthen his dried tendon and muscle, causing his entire body to stretch and sing with a now supple quality.

A small sob pierced his frenzied haze of lust. The rational side of him commanded that he stop or there would be nothing left of her. Already her heart thumped slower and the thunder lessened in his ears.

His fangs slid out of her sensitive, translucent skin and like before, he licked the fresh wound with affection, pleased with himself. Bella exhaled loudly and her muscles began to relax as she gave herself over to all of it. He raised himself up on his forearms to look at her now. Salty tears skimmed down her cheeks and a smile stretched her lips. Bella was far away in her mind, consumed by the pure rapture of the moment.

He whispered to her, slowly bringing her back down. "I can end it all now or make you like me."

Bella's eyes returned to his, focusing on the soft words laced with intention. His eyes were no longer black, but twin spheres of a red storm.

"You can have everything," he repeated from earlier.

For some unfathomable reason, he stroked her hair with his fingers, noting the stagnant, clotting blood from the bites that decorated her soft, sweet skin. _She could wither and die like the autumn leaves, or she could be untouchable at my side, _he thought, briefly fantasizing a new beginning.

"I can be good to you," he pressed on in a rough whisper. "You can start over...with me." He could take so easily, but reminded himself that she would have to want it—with him—or he would drain her without hesitation. She was on the precipice of immortality.

"Start over?" she asked weakly. Just when she had been silently begging for death, he said those pretty words. No one had ever made her feel so sought-after, desired. For the first time, she felt like someone cared about what _she_ wanted. She could be indestructible and flawless like Edward, and she wouldn't be _alone_ anymore. Bella's eyes slid shut and she basked in her power.

She already looked at peace, as if she were sleeping sweetly. "I want to be like you..."The words were so low, spoken under her breath.

It rang like a gunshot in Edward's ears. He sank his teeth into his wrist, tearing through vampire flesh for an outlet to his own nectar. Fresh blood mixed with venom streamed down his chin and he held it over her parted mouth, letting the thick fluid drip past her supple lips.

Like a babe she weakly took hold of his arm and brought it against her lips, suckling now. Hot blood poured into her, instantly beginning to eradicate her vessels, her humanity. Her mind slipped into a fog, spinning far away again. She would have an eternity to figure things out, and she could do it with Edward. _Farewell, Jasper._ Bella dreamed of peace from past heartache and struggle as the prickle of flames began to rise and claw at her.


End file.
